Estimate Options - Estimate Properties, General

Modify the functional behavior and core settings of the current estimate, allowing for project-specific adjustments to how the estimate operates independently of global defaults.

To navigate to this page of the dialog, select the Edit & Tools command tab and select Options > Estimate Options. Then select Estimate Properties> General.

The Estimate Options version of the Estimate Properties, General page allows you to make changes to the behavior of your current estimate.

Every time you create an estimate, this information is copied from the Options dialog into Estimate Options, where it can be modified for the current estimate only.

Here in Estimate Options, you may set the properties for your current estimate as follows:

FieldDescription
User definable fields

The user definable fields listed here are displayed on the Estimate Information tab of your current estimate. These fields allow you to store information that does not have a specified place in the estimate. They can also be used to store information used in custom reports.

Learn more about user defined fields

Audit trail tracking B2W Estimate allows you to specify whether or not this estimate will track changes on the Audit Trail tab. Note that you must belong to a user group which has permissions to change this setting.
Bid quantity system B2W Estimate allows you to choose the default system of measure for bid quantities. The system of measure you choose here will be reflected in the units of measure on your Private Bid Form.
Costing quantity

Allows you to set the default costing quantity your current estimate. Choose Bid Quantity to use the original quantity on the job plans, or if you devised the bid item quantities yourself. Choose Takeoff Quantity if you have performed quantity takeoff from the quantities given in the project plans by the customer.

Learn more about using takeoff quantities

Calculate DBE % using

Select from the following options to calculate DBE %:

  • Target Bid Price — Default. When set to calculate against Target Bid Price, the application uses the target rather than current price to determine the current Minority participation requirements and percentages.
  • Current Bid Price — When set to calculate against Current Bid Price, the application uses the current rather than target price to determine the current Minority participation requirements and percentages.

Note: This setting applies to minority participation calculations for any minority type, not just DBE.

Estimate format

B2W Estimate allows you to change the format of an existing estimate by choosing an alternative from the Estimate format dropdown list. When you choose a different format, the Confirm Estimate Format Change dialog box opens.

Learn more about the Confirm Estimate Format Change dialog box.

Item order

Allows you to specify the method that B2W Estimate will use to order items in your current estimate.

Possible choices:

  • By Item Number — Orders items in the estimate by the value stored in the Item Number field. This value can be alphanumeric.
  • By Line Number — Orders items in the estimate by the value stored in the Line Number field. This value can be alphanumeric.
  • Manual — Orders items in the order that they were added to the estimate. With this option, you may manually position items on the Estimate Detail tab in the exact order you want them to appear.
Unit price decimal places Allows you to specify the decimal precision of unit prices in your current estimate. Extending the unit price precision increases the accuracy of the total price for the item by minimizing the affects of rounding on the unit price.
Target sum of bid quantities

Allows you to have warnings issued when the sum of bid quantity for all non suppressed pay items does not match the target sum of bid quantities that you enter here.

B2W Estimate will warn you about discrepancies at several key points throughout your estimate, such as:

  • When navigating to the Item Listing tab.
  • When navigating to the Estimate Detail tab.
  • Print/Fax/E-Mail Bid Forms - When you select either Send to All Customers or Send to Selected Customers.
  • Print Report - When you select Print from either the File menu or the toolbar button, or from the Estimate Detail tab for a portion of the estimate.
  • When you select Print Authority Bid Form from the File menu.
  • When you select Export Pay Items from the Tools menu.
  • When you select Export Estimate Detail from the Tools menu.

This feature is disabled when its value is set to zero.

Current sum of bid quantities

The estimate's current sum of bid quantities value is displayed here for your reference.

This value does not include suppressed Pay Items.

Default workers comp region B2W Estimate allows you to choose the default work region used to establish worker's comp codes and rates. The work region you choose here will be reflected in the worker's comp rates and costs on items in your estimate.
Weights and Volumes You can specify the default weight and volume units of measure (UM) to use in your estimate. There are two dropdown menus for both Weight and Volume. In both cases, use the left menu to select a US or Imperial UM and the right to select a metric UM.

The settings on any page in Estimate Options reflect the properties or dictate the behavior of the current estimate only. Your global settings, that set the default properties and behavior of all new estimates you create, are stored on the corresponding page in the Options dialog.

Learn more about how Estimate Options differs from the Options dialog